The Adventures of Virichie
by Aintzane411
Summary: Just a bunch of drabbles I've done on tumblr. Some are prompts, some aren't. Various ratings. There's about 99.9% Virichie, with a random couple thrown in every now and then. :
1. 543 Do not stand at my grave and weep

Rating: PG  
Warnings: None. Angst.  
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort  
Disclaimer: I do not own Static Shock

A/N: Poem by Mary Elizabeth Frye**.**

* * *

Richie felt helpless as he watched his husband break down into tears in front of him. Virgil was kneeling in front of a grave, and Richie sat beside him, gently rubbing circles into his back, not knowing any other way to calm the grief. The funeral had been weeks ago, and yet Virgil was still having so many issues getting over his father's death.

They had all expected it, to be honest. Robert's passing was no surprise. For years he had been in and out of the hospital with cancer, but Richie knew that it was still going to be hard for Virgil. He just wished he knew how to ease Virgil's pain.

"Shh, Virgil," he said soothingly. "It's all right. Everything is all right."

"I just… I miss him so much, Richie… I wanted… I wanted him to see his grandchildren… I wanted him to grow old… I wanted him to live forever."

"V, you know that no one lives forever. We all have to die at some point."

"But Pops… He seemed so… invincible… I thought…. I thought he would never die."

All of a sudden, Richie's brain granted him with a poem it had stored away some time ago.

"Virgil, listen to this. It might help:

_Do not stand at my grave and weep _  
_I am not there. I do not sleep. _  
_I am a thousand winds that blow. _  
_I am the diamond glints on snow. _  
_I am the sunlight on ripened grain. _  
_I am the gentle autumn rain. _  
_When you awaken in the morning's hush _  
_I am the swift uplifting rush _  
_Of quiet birds in circled flight. _  
_I am the soft stars that shine at night. _  
_Do not stand at my grave and cry; _  
_I am not there. I did not die._"

By the time Richie finished reciting the poem, Virgil's sobs had subsided and he was able to sit up.

"Th-thanks, Rich. That did help."

"You're welcome, Virgil."

"I love you."

"I love you too."


	2. 944 The hardest part is saying goodbye

Rating: PG  
Warnings/Triggers: None, really.  
Genre: Slight angst, romance, fluffy things  
Disclaimer: I don't own SS!

A/N: Okay, yeah, not my best. -_- I've just had such a bad case of writer's block with chapter 12 (of my multi-chap) that I _need_ to write something. Anything. In this case, this is what happened. -_- Rawr.

* * *

"So… I guess this is it, huh, V?"

Virgil and Richie stood awkwardly facing each other. They were at the airport, and Richie had his suitcase handle in his hand.

"Don't say that, Richie. This isn't the end. There's no way I'm letting you off the hook that easy," said Virgil with a smile. "It's only a few years, and then we'll be back to fighting crime and chillin at the gas station together."

Richie's eyes filled with tears as he thought about everything. "Sure, V," he said with a shaky voice.

A voice came on over the loudspeakers: _"All passengers on flights to the United Kingdom, please make your way towards your gates." _Blue eyes met brown as the lifelong friends shared their last moments. Virgil held out his arms and Richie crashed into him and hugged him tightly.

"I can't believe you're leaving, Richie," whispered Virgil. "I'm going to miss you so much, you have no idea."

"It's only for a few years. Once I finish at Cambridge, then I'll come straight home."

"You better."

They held onto each other for a few minutes, neither one willing to let the other one go. When they finally did pull away, Richie grabbed Virgil's hands and held them tightly.

"You're my best friend, Virgil," he said. "Nothing can come between us. Nothing. Not even hundreds of miles of ocean."

"You promise?" Virgil's voice was thick with emotion.

"I promise."


	3. 596a They say the pain will go away

Rating: PG-ish. Maybe PG-13. I dunno. XD  
Warnings: None.  
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Fluff  
Disclaimer: I don't own SS

* * *

Virgil was woken in the middle of the night by Richie thrashing around in bed beside him. Groggy, he moved closer to his boyfriend and tried to calm him. He stroked Richie's arm and whispered soothing words into his ear.

"Shh. Richie, it's just a dream. Wake up. It's all right. I'm right here."

Richie woke with a start and immediately began to cry loudly. "My leg, Virgil!" he shouted. "It hurts. It hurts so bad!"

Virgil sat up and shoved the blankets off of the bed to gain access to Richie's upper left leg, where a small, round scar was. He began to massage the muscle as he continued to reassure Richie.

"Just another dream, Rich," he said in a soft voice as the blond beneath him continued to writhe. "Remember, it was years ago that you were shot. Not today. Not now. Six years ago. We were in high school. It was an accident. Do you remember Jimmy? He was the one who accidentally shot you. But you're fine now. Remember?"

Richie slowly began to calm down, and when he was relaxed, Virgil pulled the covers back over them both and laid down on his side facing Richie.

"Better?" Virgil asked. Richie smiled sheepishly.

"Much. Thanks, V."

"No problem, Rich."


	4. 596b They say the pain will go away

Rating: PG-13  
Warnings: None. Angst, that's it.  
Genre: Slight angst, Hurt/comfort, friendship, fluff.  
Disclaimer: I do not own SS

A/N: Prequel to "They say the pain will go away"

* * *

It was a Friday night, and Richie had decided to spend the weekend at Virgil's, like many other times before. The two boys had had a fun day of playing video games, watching movies, and just hanging out before heading to bed at around eleven o'clock. As always, they both slept in Virgil's bed, far enough apart so things didn't feel awkward, but not so far that they were falling off the edges.

Virgil was just falling asleep when he heard Richie whimper softly. Confused, Virgil listened intently, and sat up when the whimpers began to escalate into moans of, what sounded like, pain, and then into loud cries. Worried, Virgil shook Richie awake.

"Rich. It's a nightmare. Wake up."

Richie sat straight up in bed, his face contorted into a mask of pain. He immediately drew his left leg to his chest and began massaging his thigh muscle, biting his lip to keep from yelling in pain. "Fuck, not again. God damn it," he whispered.

Virgil put a hand on Richie's shoulder. "Richie, are you okay? What's going on?"

"I'm fine," Richie responded through gritted teeth. "Just peachy."

"But why were you yelling? And are you… Are you crying?"

"No. I mean, yes. I mean, no! I don't know!" A sob forced its way out of his lips. "I just— My leg! It hurts so bad, V!" Richie clenched his teeth together as another wave of pain hit him.

"But nothing's hurting you, Rich! What's wrong?" Virgil was scared now. He didn't know what was going on, but he did know that his best friend was in a lot of pain and there was nothing he could do to fix it. "What can I do to help? Should I go get Pops?"

Tears streamed down Richie's face. "No, don't leave. It helps when I rub it, I don't know why."

Virgil knocked Richie's hands out of the way and tried to massage the muscle like he had seen Richie doing it before. "Like this?" Richie nodded, his body already starting to relax. "How long has this been happening, Rich?"

"Ever since Jimmy shot me. I keep reliving it in my dreams, and it feels _so real_, Virg. I don't even know why. It doesn't happen every night, just every now and then."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" asked Virgil as he continued to work at the muscle.

"I dunno. Never came up, I guess." He took a deep breath and relaxed into the mattress, pain finally gone. "Okay, you can stop now. Thanks, V."

Virgil smiled as he slid back under the covers, just a tad bit closer to Richie than before. "No problem, Rich."


	5. 818 This flower is scorched

**Pairing/Characters: Hostreak & Teresa/Talon**  
Rating: PG  
Warnings: Slight AU, possibly, depending on how you look at it. Hotstreak has powers, Teresa doesn't.  
Genre: Fluff, Romance  
Disclaimer: I do not own SS

A/N: Saw the prompt and couldn't get it out of my head. XD Let's see how I do. First time writing Hotstreak (…I typed Hogwarts first… XD) and Teresa. So yeah. Just fluff. XD

* * *

Francis cleared his throat nervously. He was standing in front of Teresa, who he had had a crush on for as long as he could remember. She was just standing there, waiting, hand on her hip, and one eyebrow cocked. She was clearly asking him what he wanted, without actually having to say anything.

"Ah… Teresa…" he mumbled. "This is for you." Francis shoved his hand forward to reveal a slightly burnt daisy. Teresa's face softened and her stance relaxed as she took the flower.

"_Gracias_, Francis. That is so sweet of you." She smiled and went to smell the flower. "…Um, it's burnt though."

Francis felt his face light up. He raised a hand to rub the back of his neck. "Ah. Yeah… Well, you see… It's just… I was gonna… Um… I guess I just—"

His words were cut off by Teresa's mouth on his. His eyes widened for a moment before he relaxed into her embrace and enjoyed their first kiss.


	6. 482 I walked down the hall to your room

Rating: PG-13 ish  
Warnings/Triggers: Character death  
Genre: Angst  
Disclaimer: I don't own SS

* * *

Richie wrinkled his nose as he scrubbed at the spots of grime on the dishes he was washing. It was his turn to clean the kitchen, a chore he hated, and he had just run out of soap. He turned off the faucet and dried his hands, trying to remember where the Hawkins kept their cleaning supplies. _I'm pretty sure it's the hall closet upstairs._

As he slowly walked upstairs, Richie began to think about the events that led him to living with the Hawkins in the first place. It had started when his father had kicked him out of the house for some reason or another. Richie had been planning on going back eventually, but then… things changed.

When he reached the second floor, Richie turned to the left and began to walk down the hallway to the closet. On the way, he passed a door that had not been opened in almost six months. He paused and trailed his fingers over the worn wood. Without thinking about it, Richie turned the cold doorknob and stepped into the bedroom.

The first thing he noticed was the smell. It was almost as if Virgil was standing right next to him, it was so strong. Even though he knew that it couldn't be true, Richie still found his eyes darting about the room, half hoping that his best friend would pop out of his hiding place and say, _"Fooled you! Come on, let's go grab some food, Rich! Then we can go check to see if they have new issues of Plant Man at the comic book store!" _

But all he saw was the bedroom, exactly how Virgil had left it so many months ago. Richie felt tears begin to run down his face. He knew he should leave the room before he completely lost it, but there seemed to be a lack of communication from his brain to his feet. He closed the door behind him and sunk down to the floor, letting memories wash over him.

_It was a sunny day. They had been out fighting various bang babies when it happened. A new metahuman, with powers they had never encountered before, decided that Static and Gear were perfect targets. The mutant had had some sort of telekinesis. He was able to move things without touching them, yes, but he could also make things spontaneously disappear and reappear. That was the worst part._

_They had been doing pretty good, right up until the bang baby started teleporting objects. About halfway through the fight, Richie had looked up just in time to see a tanker truck materialize above them and begin to fall steadily. He had darted out of its way and called desperately for Virgil to move. Richie supposed that maybe he hadn't yelled loud enough, or that his mask had muffled his voice. Either way, Virgil had never heard his warnings._

_After the funeral, there had been no way that Richie could leave Sharon and Robert alone in the house like that. So he stayed in the guest room and helped out with what he could. A month after Virgil's death, Richie had turned eighteen, so he didn't have to worry about going back to his parents house. It was easier to just stay with his second family as they coped with the loss of the boy they had loved._

Richie had begun to sob as his mind replayed the fight over and over again. His senses were bombarded with thoughts of Virgil. He could smell him, he could hear his voice. It was too much. Richie scrambled up from the floor and wrenched at the doorknob. He turned it, fled from the room, and slammed the door behind him, cutting off the scent of the one person he had ever truly loved.


	7. 59 You think I'm a dirty little game

Rating: T-ish  
Warnings/Triggers: None really. Cussing. Slash. Mentions of sexual activities. XD  
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Romance  
Disclaimer: I don't own SS

A/N: So, this ended up being a prequel type thing to "Twenty Years" by Aqono, so if the thought intrigues you, head on over there and check it out. :D

* * *

Richie angrily paced back and forth in front of a scared-looking Virgil. "I can't believe you, Virgil! After everything that's happened between us, you think it's okay to go and— to go and— and _fuck_ some random chick!"

"In my defense, she wasn't random, I mean—"

"Shut up, I'm not done!" Richie stopped pacing and stood across the room, staring menacingly at Virgil. "I trusted you, Virgil, and you treated me like I was just a game to you! Like you didn't even care!"

"Of course I cared, Richie! You're my best friend, how could I just not care about you!"

"Oh, best friends, huh? Because I'm pretty sure that if we were just _best friends_, you wouldn't have been screaming my name the other night as I gave you the best orgasm you've had in your life!" Richie crossed the room in three steps. "You wouldn't have told me that you loved me. You wouldn't have held me like I was the only person in the world. So no. I don't think you have the right to call me your best friend, because best friends don't fucking _betray _each other like you did!"

Virgil opened his mouth to yell back, but closed it again and hung his head as he processed what Richie had said. He hadn't realized how much his actions had hurt Richie. "I'm… I'm sorry, Rich," he said softly. Virgil locked gazes with Richie. "I truly am. I didn't mean… I mean… I just… I'm sorry. There's no excuse for what I did."

There was a long pause as the two boys lost themselves in their thoughts. Richie was the first to break the silence. "Virgil, I…" he sighed. "Why did you do it? Sleep with her like that? We both know that you aren't even into girls that much."

"I was… afraid, I think…"

"Afraid of what?"

Virgil paused before answering. "Afraid to admit that I'm in love with you, Richie."


	8. 527 I'm so tired but I can't sleep

Rating: PG  
Warnings: Slash if you squint  
Genre: Fluff, friendship  
Disclaimer: I don't own SS

* * *

"Richie, you're _still_ awake?" Virgil gaped in surprise as he flew through his bedroom window. He had just finished patrol and was eager to finally be able to sleep. He had a big test in Chemistry the next day and wasn't up for a repeat of last time's "this-test-makes-a-really-good-pillow" fiasco.

Richie groaned. "Yes! And I don't know why!" He flopped over on the bed and buried his face in the pillow. "I'm exhausted from my patrol before yours and I can barely stay awake, but for some reason I can't fall asleep either!"

Virgil slowly began to take his superhero costume off and change into his pajamas. "Well have you tried counting sheep?" he asked playfully.

"Yes. I got up to six hundred and twelve million, three hundred forty-two thousand, four hundred and sixty-four."

"I forgot, is that more or less than last time?"

"More."

Virgil sunk onto the mattress next to his friend. After all of the late night patrols they'd gone through in the past year, sleeping in the same bed wasn't as awkward as one would expect. "Have you tried the whole glass of warm milk thing? I hear that helps."

"Tried it."

"Deep breathing?"

"Tried it."

"Clear your mind?"

"As if that's even possible." Richie groaned and pressed his hands to his eyes. "And now I'm starting to get a headache, because all I can think of is home remedies for insomnia and how most of them have no scientific basis at all and why the _hell _would anyone even say this shit works and I want to punch the guy who even invented counting sheep and then I—"

Virgil scooted over in bed and pulled Richie's head onto his chest.

"Uh, V? What are you doing?"

"Shh. Close your eyes and just relax."

Grumbling, Richie obeyed. "All right, but I don't see how.. this will… work…"

Almost immediately, he felt his body start to relax as he focused on the sound of Virgil's lungs and heart working. To top it off, Virgil began to hum a gentle tune and trace soft patterns into Richie's hair.

Within two minutes, they were both fast asleep.


	9. 493 You get me smiling when it hurts

Rating: PG  
Warnings: None.  
Genre: Meh, fluff I guess? Slight angst. Friendship.  
Disclaimer: I don't own SS

A/N: Bleh, not too fond of this one. -_-

* * *

"Yo, Static! On your left!" Gear flew out of the way of an energy blast thrown by Shiv as he called out to his partner to watch out. Static was able to duck just in time and he sent a quick thumbs up as a thanks.

"C'mon now, Shiv." Static hovered above the purple-haired bang baby tauntingly. "You know my motto. You don't start none, there won't be none." He turned to Gear. "Why is that so hard for everyone to understand?"

Gear shrugged and slowly moved his hand to finger a Zap Cap on his belt. With the new upgrades, they could easily restrain Shiv, but he just needed the right moment. He hung back slightly as Shiv and Static dueled in explosions of light until, finally, he saw his chance.

Gathering as much strength as he could, Gear threw the Zap Cap with all of his might directly at the bang baby. A direct hit. Shiv cried out in frustration as he collapsed to the ground, metal coils wound around his entire body. Static landed and began to asses the damage caused to the environment around them as Gear walked towards Shiv.

"Well then," he said with a cocky smile. "That went better than expected."

Shiv's mouth curled into a sneer. "You shouldn't speak so soon, man." With a flash of light, Shiv busted through his restraints and sent Gear flying backwards. Equations flew through Richie's neurons at lighting speed. Angle, rate, velocity, speed all combined together to tell him that this was not going to end well.

"Gear! Gear, wake up! Someone call 9-1-1! Gear, please wake up."

Richie groaned. "Vir— Uh, Static?" He opened his eyes to find the familiar blurry outline of his best friend above him. "Static. What… What happened?"

"Shiv blasted you into a building. You hit your head pretty hard." Richie tried to sit up, but Virgil pushed him down. "That's probably not a good idea, man. Wait until the paramedics show up."

Reaching up to his face, Richie realized that the world was blurry because of his lack of glasses. "Where's my visor? It has my prescription lenses in it." He paused, and then his hands flew to cover his face. "Wait! My visor! I need a mask!" His fingers sensed a fabric around his eyes, and his brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"

Above him, Virgil chuckled. "Well, you know how I have a mask _and _goggles? I figured that I could use the goggles, you can use the mask, and your cracked helmet could just sit off to the side."


	10. 500 I heard his voice today

Rating: PG  
Warnings: **AU** in which Virgil is deaf  
Genre: Romance, Friendship, Fluff  
Disclaimer: I don't own SS

A/N: Here, have some random fluffy AU. XD

* * *

I heard his voice today. I finally heard it. After all these years, I finally got to hear his voice. It was nothing like I imagined. I thought it would be… Well, I don't know what I thought it would be. But I like it just how it is. Rough, yet smooth. High, yet low. I don't know how to explain it.

For years, I lived this life of silence. As long as I can remember, I was just "Virgil, the shy, deaf kid in the back." I couldn't talk to people, they couldn't talk to me. It was easier to stay silent instead of try to learn words. But then Richie came along in the third grade.

They sat Richie next to me. It was the only seat left in the classroom. I remember I had been reading one of my comic books. I guess had tried to get my attention a few times before tapping on my elbow. I looked up at him and he said something, but I just shook my head and pointed to my ear. He got out a piece of paper and a pencil.

_What's wrong?_

_I'm deaf. I can't hear._

_Why not?_

_I dunno. It's been like that since I was little._

_What's your name?_

_Virgil._

_I'm Richie._

_Hi, Richie._

We've been best friends ever since. He even learned sign language in order to talk to me. He's gotten pretty good at it over the years, too. You can barely tell that he's hearing. But as much as I appreciated his efforts, there were still days that I wished I could just be normal for once.

And soon enough, my chance came. About 7 months ago, a group of doctors came to us with this new procedure. I don't know the details. All I know is that it was some new surgery that they were testing. There were a lot of risks attached, but I insisted that I wanted to try it. And so, just yesterday, I went into surgery.

Today I woke up in the recovery room. My Pops was there, and my sister, Sharon was there. I could hear their voices. It was strange, being able to hear. Everything was loud, and I didn't understand their words. It was like a foreign language. But I knew immediately that this had been the right decision.

And then Richie came in. He was quiet for a minute or so, but then he spoke. After years of not knowing the music of voices, I was finally able to hear his voice. And I loved every bit of it.


	11. random drabble No prompt

Rating: PG-13  
Warnings: Slash! Fluff!  
Genre: Fluff, friendship  
Disclaimer: I don't own SS!

A/N: Just a random drabble, no prompt.

* * *

Virgil paced nervously back and forth in front of Richie. They were in their gas station, and Richie was thoroughly confused, to say the least.

"Virgil, you've been pacing for almost ten whole minutes. What's wrong?" Richie rolled his eyes. "If you broke something, just tell me. I promise I won't get mad."

"If only it were that easy," Virgil said with a huff. "No, I didn't break anything. I just don't know how to say this."

"Say _what, _V?"

Virgil halted his pacing and faced Richie. "Okay, how about this?" He took a deep breath. "You remember when you came out to me, right?"

"Of course, but what does that have to do with—"

"Shush. Let me think." Virgil rubbed the back of his neck and groaned. "I don't get why this is so hard to say," he mumbled.

Suddenly, Richie got a clue. "Virgil? Are you trying to tell me you're gay?"

Virgil froze, eyes wide, before his shoulders slumped and he sighed in relief. "Yes. I mean, no. I mean… I'm not sure."

Richie raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You're not sure…" he echoed.

"No, I'm not. I mean, I don't like guys, but I do. And girls are nice to look at and think about, but… in the end, there's really only one person that I really, _really _like."

"And who would that be? Maybe I can talk to him for you."

"It's you, Richie."

* * *

A/N: So yeah. XD To clarify a little, I imagine Virgil more as pansexual. He doesn't fall in love with a gender so much as he does a person. That's why he and Richie are so perfect for each other. Their personalities are an ideal match. Doesn't matter that they're both guys. XD So yeah. :D


	12. 186 So I'm driving in my car

Rating: T  
Warnings: Suicide/suicidal thoughts  
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship  
Disclaimer: I don't own SS

A/N: Finally, it seems as if the boys have returned from their summer trip to Jamaica and decided to help me write! XD Maybe now I can get started on my new chapters! :D

* * *

Richie pressed his foot down on the pedal and listened to the car engine roar louder as he pushed eighty mile per hour. It was almost three in the morning and Richie was trying desperately to reach his best friend before it was too late. He glanced at the clock and swore when he saw that it had been almost ten minutes since he began his frantic trip. He slammed his hand against the wheel in frustration, accelerated even more, and prayed that he wouldn't get pulled over.

"God damn it, Virgil!" Richie's heart was racing, as it had been for the past fifteen minutes. He was on high-alert, the conversation he had on the phone replaying in his head over and over again.

"Hello?"

_"__Richie?"_

_"__Virgil? What's wrong? What time is it?"_

_"__2:34."_

_"__In the morning? Ugh, what's up?"_

_"…"_

_"__V?"_

_"…"_

_"__Virgil, you're starting to scare me."_

_"__I… I love you, Richie. I'm sorry."_

_"__Virgil, what are you talking about?"_

_"__Goodbye."_

_"__Virgil? Virgil! Answer me, V! What happened? Where are you?"_

When no response had come, Richie had jumped into the car and made a beeline for Virgil's apartment in the next town over. He wasn't completely sure that Virgil would be there, but he was hoping. That's where Richie had found him the last time this happened…

_Blood. So much blood…_

Richie shook his head sharply. Now was not the time to be thinking about what happened in the past. He needed to focus on saving his best friend's life.

* * *

"Virgil! Virgil, where are you?"

Richie burst into the apartment and threw the spare key to the side. He called out for Virgil, but began to panic when he didn't hear a reply. He ran through the house, and finally found Virgil sitting on the floor in his bedroom, a gun resting in his hand.

Eyes wide, Richie swept into the room and snatched the gun away. He slid it across the floor and gathered Virgil into a hug.

"You're all right, Virgil," he said shakily. "I was so scared."

"I'm sorry, Richie," replied Virgil, his voice thick with tears. "I d-didn't mean t-to scare you."

"No, it's all right. I'm here now. It's going to be all right."

"I just— I'm s-so tired. Of everything, Richie."

"I know you are. I know you are."


	13. 295 You wouldn't even recognize me

Rating: PG, PG-13ish. Around there  
Warnings: Nothing really  
Genre: Slight fluff, slight angst, friendship  
Disclaimer: I don't own SS

A/N: Whelp. This is where that prompt took me. XD

* * *

"Daddy, can I get some cookies?"

Virgil sighed and smiled at his son. "All right, Anthony. But only if you make sure to clean your room and don't tell mommy, okay?"

"Okay!"

Virgil watched as his five-year-old son skipped down the aisle to pick out his favorite brand of cookies. He leaned on the cart handle, chin in hands, and let his mind wander to his family waiting at home. There was his beautiful wife, Sophia, whom he had met almost ten years ago in college. Also waiting for him to return to the house was his daughter, Madison, who had just turned one a few weeks ago.

Anthony ran back towards his dad, a huge grin on his face, and tossed his cookies into the cart. Virgil steered the cart and his son towards the front of the store to check out, but quite literally ran into a man turning the corner.

"Oh, I'm so sorry—"

"Excuse me, it was my fault—"

The two men apologized at the same time before they looked at each other's faces and stopped mid-sentence.

"…Richie?" Virgil's eyes widened as he took in the sight of his best friend from high school.

Richie raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Virgil. Wow, it's you!"

"Yeah. God, long time, no see! I barely recognized you! How have you been, man? What have you been up to?"

"Things are good, Virgil. I've been teaching physics at Harvard for a while, but just transferred to Dakota U. What about you? Who's this little guy?"

Anthony hid behind his father's pant leg and peeked out cautiously. Virgil placed a hand on the boy's head and smiled down at him. "It's all right, Anthony." He looked up at Richie again. "This is Anthony, my son." He swelled with pride.

Richie smiled at Anthony. "Nice to meet you, Anthony. How old are you?"

"Five," whispered the boy.

"Wow! Five years old! Have you started kindergarten yet?" Anthony shook his head and Richie chuckled. "He's cute, Virgil," he said. "So you're married?"

"Yeah, to Sophia, a girl I met in college. We got married about seven years ago, and then had Anthony and little Madison."

"Wow, that's… That's amazing, Virgil."

"How about you? You ever find someone to settle down with?"

"No, not me. You know how I am, no guys are willing to stay with someone who's constantly trying to figure out new ways to re-invent the wheel."

The two laughed. It was almost like they had never been apart. Almost. As they talked, they both could sense a gap of twelve years between them. They hadn't seen each other since Richie had left for university right after graduation. They never planned for things to end up this way; it just happened.

Eventually, Virgil saw the time and realized that Sophia would be waiting for him to bring home the ingredients for dinner. He reluctantly said goodbye to Richie, but not before writing his phone number on a scrap of paper and pressing it into his friend's hand.

Richie watched as Virgil walked away with Anthony in tow. His heart ached as he thought about everything he had learned. Virgil was happily married with two kids. He had a part-time job as an editor in the Dakota newspaper, but mostly worked with the Justice League as Static. There was so much that Richie had missed.

He stood there for a few more minutes, and then left the store without buying anything. As he passed a garbage can on the way out, he let the slip of paper Virgil gave him fall in. His heart broke just thinking about trying to act like things were fine between them when there was no way, especially now, that he could ever tell Virgil how he'd been in love with him for almost twenty years now. There was no way. It hurt too much.


	14. 10 I try not to think about the pain

Rating: T (I just realized that I keep switching from regular rating style to fanfic dot net style, so sorry if that confuses you. XD)  
Warnings: Abuse  
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, slight friendship

* * *

"Richie! It's time to go! You're going to be late for school if you don't hurry up, mister!"

Richie Foley grimaced as he dabbed concealer on his black eye. When his mom's voice drifted up the stairs telling him to hurry up, he quickly closed the makeup container and examined his reflection in the mirror one last time. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do. Hopefully no one would notice. Tucking the makeup safely into his pocket in case he needed a touch-up later, he trudged down the stairs.

"Have a good day at school, honey," said his mom with a smile. She pecked him on the cheek. "Come straight home afterwards; your father is getting off earlier than normal."

Richie nodded and took a deep breath before stepping outside. It was a sunny day, which irritated Richie ever so slightly. He wanted it to be stormy and grey, not bright and full of sunshine. If he had to be so miserable, why the fuck did everyone else get to be happy?

He walked along down the sidewalk a ways before he heard a familiar voice call his name.

"Yo, Richie!"

With a smile, Richie turned to find Virgil racing up the sidewalk towards him. "Hey, man," he said as they fist bumped. "Running late, too?"

"Yeah, just a bit." They continued walking. "Dude, what happened to your eye?"

Richie tensed. He should have known that Virgil would see. Virgil always sees everything. "Ah, nothing."

"You sure? Cause I swear it looks almost like—"

"It's nothing, Virgil."

"All right. If you say so."

* * *

That night wasn't a very good night for the Foleys. Despite Shawn's plans to arrive home early, he didn't show up until nearly midnight. As soon as he walked in the door, Richie could sense the alcohol on him. The tall man stumbled in and put a hand on the wall to steady himself as the room began to spin.

In the living room, Maggie told her son to go upstairs, but Richie didn't move fast enough.

"BOY!" bellowed Shawn. "GET DOWN HERE!"

Richie hesitated near the top of the stairs. He knew what was going to happen. He had two choices. Choice A: Go downstairs and face his father without talking back. Choice B: Go upstairs and hope that Shawn wouldn't break down his bedroom door again. Neither option was very pleasing.

His decision took a split second too long. It gave Shawn just enough time to reach him on the staircase. Richie cried out in pain as he was thrown to the bottom landing. He heard a crack and white-hot pain shot through his arm. Tears sprang to his eyes, but he closed them and focused on making the pain go away.

After almost three years of being pushed around by his dad, Richie had gotten pretty good at letting his mind wander far from where his body was. This time he imagined that he was with Virgil, hanging out at the Hawkins' place and playing video games. He could barely feel the blows raining down on him from Shawn. He could barely hear his mom yelling and crying for her husband to stop. He just focused on Virgil and his smile.


	15. 95 He's watching me

Rating: G, PG ish  
Warnings: **AU**  
Genre: AU, general

A/N: So I'm going to make a sequel to this since there's so much more that I want to write. :D Also, Richie ended up a bit OoC, but it's AU, so deal with it. XD

* * *

Static grumbled under his breath as he flew through the town on his hover disc. He had almost gotten pummeled by some new bang baby twice that day, and the cops were no help. Sometimes it really sucked being the only metahuman who wanted to actually use their powers for good.

Exhausted, the teenage superhero flew up to the clock tower and sat on the number 7. It was his favorite spot in the entire city. Way up high, it was easy to forget all of his worries. Sitting there, it was like time stopped. Which was pretty ironic, he realized, as he was sitting on time itself.

As the minutes ticked by, Static let his mind drift back to the fight he had had with Ebon and the Meta-Breed earlier. As usual, they got away. Mostly because it was a three-on-one battle. In his two years of superhero-ing, Static had never been able to catch Ebon and his crew. This time, however, he had tried something different. Needless to say, his plan only resulted in Talon's sonic blast throwing him against a brick wall and knocking him unconscious.

A memory surfaced. There was a pair of eyes watching Static as he slowly blacked out. It wasn't anyone from the Meta-Breed; they had left by then. But from the shadows, Static could have sworn that a pair of bright grey eyes were staring at him.

* * *

The next day was just like any other. Virgil Hawkins woke up at 5am, did a quick patrol around Dakota as Static, arrived back at home in time to shower for breakfast, and went to school. Six periods came and went, and before he knew it, he was back at home, getting suited up for his afternoon patrol.

Exhausted, Virgil shrugged his coat on and slipped his mask over his face. He locked his bedroom door behind him and flew out his window into the warm air. This was really starting to get old. His routine was always the same. He never had time for his friends, especially Daisy and Frieda. He barely had time to study and do homework. It was just getting to be way too much.

A buzzing in his ears drew Static's thoughts away from his life as Virgil. He pressed an electricity-filled hand to his ear and listened to the police bulletin.

_::Metahuman on 32nd and Main. Backup requested. I repeat, backup requested! It's Ebon again. He's on a rampage!::_

Static sighed and changed course. He didn't know why he was even bothering to answer the call. Most likely, Ebon had his crew with him, and there was no way that Static could take them, especially after last night's beating.

When he arrived, Static took in the situation from high above. Sure enough, Ebon and the Meta-Breed were hauling money out of a bank vault and into a truck that was probably stolen. The cops were already there, spread out in a semi-circle around the bang babies, but weren't doing anything.

With a deep breath to prepare himself for the fight, Static quickly descended and charged up.

"Yo, Ebon!" he cried, getting the shadow man's attention easily. "I'm pretty sure you don't have an account here, so why don't you put all the money back?" Static didn't know why he always tried to reason with the metahumans, especially Ebon. They never listened.

"Why don't you go jump in a lake, Sparky?"

Static grumbled and balled his hands into electrically-charged fists. "All right, if you want to do this the hard way, I'm all for it."

Ebon gestured to his gang and they stepped forward. Talon took to the skies, Shiv conjured up an energy sword, and Hot-Streak ignited his hands. Ebon crossed his arms over his chest. "As if you could take us down, hero," he said with an audible smirk.

The fight commenced. Static idly wished that the cops would help him out, but instead, they crouched behind their squad cars, weapons drawn, but too afraid to shoot in fear of hitting their favorite superhero instead.

This time, it was only a matter of minutes before the Meta-Breed had Static cornered. He closed his eyes as the four bang babies closed in on him to deliver the final blow. But it never came.

Confused, Static opened his eyes and found Ebon and Talon wrapped tightly in metal coils. The other two metahumans took one look at the restraints before turning and running as fast as they could. The cops rushed forward, now that the immediate threat was out of the way, and Static had to fight the urge to roll his eyes.

Out of nowhere, a news camera and microphone was shoved into his face.

"This is Shelly Sandoval with Static, Dakota's local superhero, after a big fight with the metahumans Ebon, Talon, Shiv, and Hot-Streak." She turned to him. "So tell me, Static. Where did you get the idea for these metal restraints?"

"That's just it. It wasn't me."

* * *

Later that evening, after homework was completed and dinner was eaten, Virgil suited up one last time for his evening patrol. As he flew, he was on high-alert. Something just didn't seem right about what had happened during the fight. Someone had thrown those restraints. But who? And how did the metal coils work? Was it the same person he saw watching him the other day?

After forty minutes of patrolling the city, Static flew up to his spot on the clock tower again. He wasn't there for long, however. A figure was standing on the rooftop of the building right in front of him. Static squinted his eyes to try and make out who it was. The boy was wearing a blue sweatshirt — or was it green? Hard to tell from how far apart they were. — and tan pants. His hair was blond, and he was leaning nonchalantly against a wall. The boy raised his arm and beckoned for Static to come over to him. With questions running through his mind, Static obeyed.

When he landed, he took a closer look at the boy. A green sweatshirt, yes, with an orange stripe. Spiky blond hair, glasses, and… And grey eyes. The same eyes that had been watching him the other day.

"Who are you?" Static asked. He let a light charge run through his hands, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

"Richie Foley, inventor extraordinaire," the boy said with a smirk. "I've been watching you, Static. Your powers are impressive, but lacking, to say the least." Richie took a step forward. "Still not able to take down the Meta-Breed, right? You need help."

"I don't need any help." Static turned and charged his disc to fly away.

"Yes, you do, Virgil."

Virgil froze and slowly turned. "How do you know my name?"

"I told you. I've been watching you. You should really think about getting a secret headquarters. It's not smart to fly in and out of your bedroom window. And I'm pretty much an expert on what's smart and what's not."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm a Bang Baby, too." Richie shrugged, as if it was no big deal. "My best friend Nina and I had a fight that night. She took her bicycle and rode off. I followed her. We ended up near the docks right at the explosion."

"Wait," Virgil said. "Nina. That name sounds familiar."

"She's worked with you. Timezone? Ring any bells?"

"That's right. She… she tried to help me save my mom."

"That's her." Richie bent to pick up what looked like a skateboard. "Now come on, I have something to show you."

"What are you—"

Richie jumped on the board and snapped his fingers. With a roar, the board was propelled into the air with small rockets attached where the wheels should be.

"Follow me!"


	16. 81 Today I'm gonna fly

Rating: PG-13 (f-word a few times. That's it)  
Warnings: None really. Character injury, but no death.  
Genre: Angsty at the beginning, fluffy near the end. Hurt/comfort all throughout.

* * *

Four months. For four fucking months, Virgil had been confined to this god-forsaken wheelchair. He was sick of it! All because of some stupid fight that went awry. He had let his guard down and allowed Hotstreak to blast him off of his hover disc. Of course, the blast he could have handled, but it didn't help that in the midst of falling almost 6 stories, Hotstreak sent another blast at him that sent him crashing into a brick wall. Again.

_How many times has that happened by now? _Virgil wondered idly as he toyed with the wheels on his chair. He was sitting in the living room, which had been converted into his bedroom while he was healing from a broken femur. As much as he had protested when he arrived home from the hospital, his father had flat out refused to carry him up the stairs to his room every night.

Virgil sighed and flicked the television on. He turned the volume up and checked to make sure that the curtains sectioning off the living room covered him completely. Then, as he had been doing for a few weeks now, he placed one hand on each armrest of his chair and slowly began to push up. The progress was agonizingly tedious, but eventually, Virgil found that his butt was lifted a few inches off of the seat, and his legs were beginning to straighten.

His doctors had encouraged him to exercise the injured leg, to make sure the muscle didn't degenerate, but Virgil just thought that it wasn't enough. For four months he had been unable to walk, even just to use the bathroom. He had to shower sitting down, he could barely dress himself. So when he was alone, he practiced. He hadn't quite been able to put all of his weight on his leg yet, but he knew he wasn't far off.

Virgil winced as the nerves in his thigh began to scream in pain. He scrunched up his face in pain, but continued push through. He was almost in a half-standing position when he heard his curtain fly open.

"Virgil, I brought you some— V, what are you doing?"

Startled, Virgil came crashing back to his wheelchair. He hissed in pain at the sudden jerk. "What do you want, Richie?" he snapped, frustrated that he still couldn't walk.

Richie came towards him and set a plate of food on the coffee table next to him. His face was full of sympathy. "You know what the doctors said, V. Don't push it too hard. It'll only make it worse."

"I know, Richie," Virgil sighed. "But it's just so fucking _frustrating,_ having to sit in this stupid chair for days on end! I want to walk, I want to run, I want to go back to fighting bang babies. I want to fly on my hover disc, Richie! You get to do all that every day and I'm stuck here watching reruns of CSI and Glee!" He waved the television remote in Richie's face. "Glee, Richie! I've had to resort to Glee!"

Richie sat on the couch and pulled Virgil's chair over so that they were facing each other. For a moment, Virgil felt like it could almost be a regular conversation. That they were just both sitting down and Virgil wasn't trapped in this contraption.

"I get it, V," Richie said. "I mean, I've never been in a wheelchair, but I do know that it sucked to be on those crutches after the whole Jimmy incident." Virgil let his gaze fall to his lap. He had almost forgotten that Richie had gone through similar conditions. "But you just gotta hang in there. It's only, what, another month or so? And even then, you still have your physical therapy you're going to every week, so you can stretch your legs then."

"But I miss everything, Richie. I haven't seen my room in four months. What if some wild animal has moved in up there?"

"If it makes you feel any better, I just went up there today and there are no animals, wild or not, living in your bedroom." Richie paused, contemplating. "Although there was a pretty big dust bunny under your desk. Does that count?"

Virgil smiled. "Thanks, Rich."

"No problem, bro."

* * *

That night, Virgil is woken around 2am by his Shock Vox.

"Virgil? Virgil, you there? Wake up, V!"

"Hnngh? Richie?" he asks sleepily. "What time is it?"

"Doesn't matter. Get up and get dressed in your Static gear. I'm coming over."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it. And make sure to leave the door unlocked."

The call fades and Virgil sets the Shock Vox on the coffee table. He gently swings his legs off the couch and sits up, trying to figure out what the heck Richie is up to. But after about ten minutes, he's finally dressed, minus the coat since it was just too difficult to put on, and is just wheeling to the door to unlock it when he heard a soft knock. He quietly turned the knob and found Gear standing in front of him.

"Come on, Static," he said. "We've got a patrol to run."

* * *

Virgil didn't know how Richie managed to create something to help him so quickly. All he knew was that he was so very grateful that he did. Richie had come up with a variant of his hover disc. It was elongated, almost like a surfboard, so that Virgil could lay on his stomach and not put too much pressure on his injured leg. The top surface was insulated with a thin material — Virgil had no clue what it was — that seemed to serve the purpose of making sure that the electricity didn't completely engulf him and cloud his vision. There was a simple, yet sturdy, strap in the middle that Richie had wrapped around Virgil's waist to prevent him from falling off.

The two flew through the skies of Dakota for almost two hours. Virgil was so excited to be back in the air that he could barely contain his powers. Richie flew along side him with a small smile, glad that his best friend was feeling better.

When they finally arrived back at the Hawkins house, Richie helped Virgil ease back into his wheelchair before removing his helmet. Virgil took off his mask as well, and the two sat in the living room.

"Thanks, Richie," Virgil said as his eyelids began to droop.

"No problem, V."


	17. 129 So much space and time

Rating: PG-13ish? Maybe more?  
Warnings: FEELS. SO MANY FEELS. Character death. AND FEELS. D:  
Genre: ANGST, FEELS, HURT/COMFORT, D:

A/N: OH GOD. MY FEELS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. T_T

* * *

_Virgil,_

_It's been so long since we've talked. Almost, what, ten years now? Time sure flies when you're… well… getting old, I guess. It's hard to believe that we're in our forties now, isn't it? It seems like just yesterday we were out fighting crime as Static and Gear, the dynamic duo of Dakota, the saviors of the city. Just like yesterday…_

_I hope things have been going well for you, Virgil. I know when we parted, it wasn't on a happy note. But I just want you to know that I still consider you one of my closest friends and I've always wished the best for you. I know that our last argument was… not quite a walk in the park. And I'm sorry for that. I didn't mean to hurt you the way I did. __I was young and stu— __No, I'm not going to sit here making excuses. It was wrong. And I'm sorry._

_I guess I just wanted to write, Virgil, to tell you… Well, to tell you I'm dying. I have pancreatic cancer. It was diagnosed pretty late, so I only have a few weeks at the most. I've been writing to a lot of my old friends and acquaintances. Sort of saying my goodbyes, if you will. But yours, Virgil, has been the hardest, by far._

_I love you, Virgil. Plain and simple. I always have, I always will. I know for a long time, when we were teenagers, you didn't feel the same. But then in college, you did. And it was the best year of my life, when we were together. And then we had that fight. And I was wrong to say the things I did. And, again, I'm sorry. We stayed in contact for a while after that, but things weren't the had changed._

_I know you have a family now. I remember getting your Christmas cards in the mail and seeing you smiling with Diane, who always looked stunning, and cute little Jasmine. And I'm happy for you. I'm so glad that you found someone who loves you like that, who is always there for you. Who can give you things that I couldn't._

_But that's enough of the wishy-washy stuff. I guess I just wanted to say, well, I've missed you, V. But count on me waiting at the pearly gates for you, to set things straight._

_Your friend,__  
__Love,_

_Richie_

* * *

_Richie,_

_I don'tknow why I'm writing this. If the date is correct on your letter, well… You're already dead. I'm so sorry Richie. I… I'm sorry._

_I've missed you, too, Richie. Like, a hasn't been the same since we stopped talking. I've missed your smile, your jokes. Even your incessant inventing. All of the times you woke me up at 4am with your worktable light and the scratching of your pencil. I'm sorry that I complained so much about being woken. I'd do anything to get those moments back._

_Do you remember that time when we stayed up all night because you just couldn't stop thinking? I mean, it happened a lot, but I'm thinking of the time when you literally could not stop thinking. You were so jittery, I was really starting to worry about you. Your fingers were tapping on your knees, your eyes were darting everywhere. And your mouth was talking a mile a minute. I could hardly keep up with you. You kept talking about quantum physics and the angles of the planets and how Venus and Jupiter won't align like that for another fifty years. Or something like that._

_That was the night that I finally told you that I loved you, Richie. Do you remember? I hope so. I meant it, Richie. I thought we were going to get married and start a family and watch our grandchildren grow up. We were going to grow old together, live together, die together. But then…_

_I still don't know why you did it, Richie. I guess I never will. But you lied to me. You cheated on me. And a part of me will probably never forgive you for that. I gave you my heart. My soul. And you tore it to shreds. I trusted you._

_Do you want to know the real reason I married Diane? I felt like I couldn't trust men anymore. You really hurt me, Richie. And then you tried to act like everything was normal. And I'm sorry, but I just couldn't pretend anymore. That's the only reason that I stopped answering your calls and emails._

_I don't know if I'll ever figure out my feelings for you, Rich. Just saying your name stirs all sorts of emotions in me. Anger. Hurt. Love. Passion. I do love you. I just… I just don't know how. Or why, even. But I do. And I'll miss you. Forever and ever._

_Love,__  
__Your friend,_

_Virgil_

* * *

In the warmth of a summer afternoon, a man walks through a cemetery. He wanders for a few minutes, glancing at the graves in the grass, before he stops in front of one. For almost an hour, he stands silently. He doesn't move. In one hand he has a single red rose. In the other, a letter.

Eventually, the man kneels down in front of the granite headstone. He gently places the letter on the plaque and the rose on the letter. Then he stands and quickly walks back to his car.

That was the last time Virgil Hawkins ever saw Richie Foley.


	18. 528 Let me be empty

Rating: PG-13ish  
Warnings: **Eating Disorder** (Please be careful! I don't want anyone triggered!)  
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort

A/N: Why are the boys making me write more angst? D:

* * *

It was around finals week at the end of their junior year that Virgil began to notice something off about his best friend. Richie had started skipping meals. At first it wasn't much. A lunch period spent in the library here and there, passing on dinner when he spent the night. At first, Virgil thought that it was just the stress of trying to juggle school, home, and superhero-ing. But soon it escalated.

During previous summers, it was normal for the two growing teenagers to devour an entire extra large pizza by themselves. They would often hang out in the Gas Station of Solitude with a $5 pepperoni pizza from the local store and just eat and eat until their stomachs threatened to explode. This summer, however, proved to be different.

More often than not, Richie would sit at his inventing desk with a slice of pizza rapidly cooling on a paper plate next to him. He would claim that he wasn't hungry, or that he had eaten a big breakfast. For a while, Virgil bought the excuses. But eventually, his patience wore thin.

"Why aren't you eating, Richie?" he asked abruptly one afternoon. They had just gotten back from a long and tiring patrol. Virgil knew that he felt drained and that Richie must feel worse, seeing as he had taken the brunt of the attack.

"What do you mean?" Richie asked distractedly. He was bent over his blueprints again, scratching madly with a pencil.

Virgil grabbed the back of his computer chair and whirled him around to face him, causing the pencil to fly across the room. "Food. Why is it absent from your body?"

"I already ate, Virgil, I told—"

"I don't believe you."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Virgil, but I think—"

"When was the last time you ate?"

Richie , think. Come up with a let his eyes wander. "This morning. I told you, my mom made pancakes."

Virgil's eyes narrowed. "Earlier you said that she made omlettes."

"I… must have made a mistake then… It was definitely pancakes. Maybe I was thinking of what she made yesterday. Yesterday it was omlettes. Of course. That's it."

It was two more weeks before Virgil brought up the subject again. Two weeks of observing and investigating, and he finally had enough evidence to confront Richie.

Virgil brought Richie into his bedroom and shut the door, not wanting his dad or Sharon to overhear the conversation they were about to have. He sat on the bed and motioned for Richie to sit next to him.

"Virgil, what is this all about?" Richie asked. He sat and hugged his arms to his chest, as if he were cold, despite the thick hoodie he was wearing.

His face revealing nothing, Virgil pulled a bag from under the bed and began to lay the contents out.

_A box of protein bars. A journal. An empty family-size bag of Doritos. A paper with numbers written on it. A box of laxatives._

The two boys sat in silence. Richie knew what was going on. He knew that Virgil had finally figured out what he had been covering up for months. It was bound to happen sooner or later, given the amount of time that the two spent together. But Richie still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Virgil knew.

"Rich," said Virgil softly. "What's going on with you?" He reached over and gently took Richie's right hand. There were small scabs on his knuckles. "Why are you doing this to yourself?"

Richie pulled his hand back and wrapped his arms around himself. He pulled his feet up on the bed and turned his head away from Virgil to hide the tears forming in his eyes. He felt so ashamed. No, he felt disgusting. He began to cry. Softly at first, but he soon gave up the attempt to hide his sobs. Virgil pulled him into his arms and Richie latched onto him.

"Please, Richie," Virgil whispered into his ear as he stroked the soft blond hair that was tickling his cheek. "I promise that I won't be mad. I just need to understand. What could possibly make you hate yourself this much?"

With a shuddering breath, Richie forced the words out between sobs. "M-my dad, Virgil. He h-hates me. H-he told me that I wasn't g-good enough. He k-kept saying that I would n-never grow up. Th-that I was worthless. Th-that I was j-just a waste of sp-space."

Virgil felt his muscles clench in rage at Richie's dad. He felt electricity tickle the base of his spine and took a deep breath to calm down. "Richie, don't you dare believe what he's saying. You're going to end up dead if you don't stop starving yourself!"

"M-maybe I'll be better off then."

Shocked at what he was hearing, Virgil pulled away from Richie and held him at arm's length. "No, Richie. Don't say that." His eyes began to tear up and he blinked hard to drive the tears away. "Because if you were gone… I don't know what I'd do. I'd be empty."


	19. 162 We don't need to be right

Rating: G? PG? Around there.  
Warnings/Triggers: None really. Slight Angst on Richie's part.  
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Romance

A/N: This was actually the first SS drabble I wrote from the prompt list! D: I can't believe I forgot to include it here!

* * *

Richie tensed as he felt Virgil's fingers interlock with his own. He pulled away before glancing around nervously at the shoppers in the mall around them.

"Virgil," he hissed. "I told you not to do that here!"

Virgil huffed. "But I want to hold your hand. I don't care where we are. I like holding your hand."

"And I like to hold yours. But not everyone else likes that you like to hold my hand."

"Well, you know what, Richie?" snapped Virgil, as he interlaced their fingers again. "I don't care what they think. We're the most bad-ass superheros in all of Dakota. And by now most everyone knows it's us. If they start bashing, then we can just refuse to save their asses. All I know is right now, I want to hold my boyfriend's hand. It's not like I'm grinding up against you or something."

Richie's face glowed bright red and he kept his eyes to the floor. "I know, V, but still. I guess I'm not used to being out with everyone, in regards to both sexuality and superhero secret identities." He glanced up at Virgil, who was walking proudly with his chin held high, before returning his gaze to the floor. "I mean, this is just so overwhelming at times. Being gay was this super big secret that I had to hide for my entire life. And now I'm with you and trying to be myself, but it's hard."

Tears began to well in his eyes. Virgil noticed, and guided the blond teen into a secluded corner.

"Richie," he said softly, wiping away the tears that had spilled. "Look around you." Richie complied. "Do you see anyone who wants to hurt you?"

He looked into the faces of people passing by. Most of them didn't even take a second glance at the two teens sitting on a park bench in the mall, and the few who did notice them smiled and nodded, recognizing them from their appearances on television. "No," he said. "I guess I don't."

"That's because everyone is proud of what you've done for them. They don't care if you're into guys or girls or nothing at all. They're just glad you're alive to keep their families safe." He put a hand on Richie's cheek. "And if makes you feel any better," he smiled. "They also know that I can zap them to infinity and beyond if they so much as look at you funny."


	20. 29 I'm better off alone

Rating: PGish  
Warnings: **AU**, feels

Sequel to chapter 15, He's Watching Me

_A/N: I've also figured out that this is mostly AU. The only major canon storylines that are still included here is the big bang (obviously) and Omnifarious/Edwin Alva Jr. (I might think of more later. XD)_

* * *

Virgil let his eyes drift over the inside of the abandoned gas station. A couch. A work table. A few drawers. Nothing impressive at all.

"This is what you dragged me across town for?" he asked with annoyance. "An old, run-down shack that smells like gas and rat pee and looks like hobos could be living here?"

Richie blushed and kicked an empty soda can under the couch. "Well, I haven't had much time for cleaning. I've been so busy inventing. But still, don't you see the potential?"

"Right. Potential. Sure. Whatever you say, Ricky."

"Richie."

"What?"

"It's Richie."

"Oh." Virgil paused. "So why did you bring me here anyways?" He plopped down on the couch and removed his mask, making himself comfortable. This guy already knew who he really was, so there was no point in wearing the mask. It was uncomfortable, anyways. Virgil really needed a new design.

Richie sat next to him. "I thought that maybe it could be your headquarters. The Abandoned Gas Station of Solitude." He shrugged. "I thought it had a nice ring to it."

"But what's the point of a secret headquarters if some random guy knows where it is? Hmm?" Virgil raised an eyebrow at Richie, who rolled his eyes.

"I'm not just some random guy, Virgil." He walked over to his desk and rummaged in the drawers. "I can help you. I've invented things that could really improve your game as Static." Richie pulled out a metal sphere. "For example, my latest invention: the Zap Caps."

Virgil crossed his arms, still not willing to accept that he really needed this boy's help.

Richie continued. "They're what stopped the Meta-Breed today. And they're only the first generation! I have so many plans for them. Once I can figure out how to get them charged up with your electricity — after I analyze your powers extensively, of course — I'll be able to give the coils their own charge, so that you won't even have to waste any powers in case we—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up there," Virgil said as he stood up. "We? Who said anything about a 'we'?" He held out his hands apologetically. "I mean, I appreciate the help and all, but I'm better off alone. I've tried the whole partner thing, and it just didn't work out. I'm a one-man team, Richie."

"But Virgil, if you would just—"

"No, man." Virgil pulled his mask back on and headed towards the door. "Just… Forget this ever happened. Bad things happen to people I'm close to, dude. So just… back off, all right?"

Richie turned away so he wouldn't have to see his idol leave him in the dust. He didn't turn back around until he heard the whooshing sound of Static flying away on his disc.

* * *

_"__You better have some good news for me, Foley. Have you made contact with him yet?"_

_"__Yeah. I have."_

_"__And?"_

_"__And he knows I know who he is. He seems hesitant, but I'm confident that I can get him to trust me in no time."_

_"__Good. I expect to see significant progress in the next week, boy."_

_"__Of course, sir."_

* * *

Virgil paced his room. How had he been so stupid, so careless, as to let someone figure out who he really was?! He had always been so eager to be the superhero of Dakota that he never even began to think about being more careful about protecting his identity. He had flown in and out of his bedroom window for crying out loud. It was a miracle that no one had figured him out sooner.

With a sigh, he flopped onto his bed. He shot a bolt of electricity at the light switch to darken the room and decided to give up on his homework for the night. There was no way he was going to get it done now, not when he was this stressed out.

It took hours of tossing and turning before Virgil finally fell asleep. Once he did, however, he was denied rest by his dreams.

_He was sitting on the floor in the living room. He must have been young, since everything looked so much bigger. Content with his toys, Virgil pantomimed huge, violent fights with his G.I. Joes. When he heard sirens, however, he looked up to find his parents, both of them, talking quietly. They looked worried. Virgil tried to hear what they were saying, but he couldn't make out any words._

_Jean came over to her son and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She was dressed in her uniform._

_"__I have to go help some people, sweetie," she said, "But I'll be back before you know it."_

_"__You'll still be able to come to career day at school tomorrow, right Mommy?"_

_"__Of course, Virgil."_

_The scene shifted to the inside of an ambulance. The siren was on, along with the flashing lights, and the paramedics inside struggled to hold on as they bounced along the street. When the vehicle stopped, Jean was the first one out of the doors. She darted through the violence of the Dakota Riots towards the first injured victim she spotted and waved her colleagues over._

_Almost like a camera trick in a movie, the scene slowly began to move away. Virgil knew what was coming next. He had had this dream before. but he couldn't bring himself to wake up. Instead, he watched as the image of his mother grew smaller. He hoped that maybe this time, he wouldn't have to see—_

_No. There it was. The bullet screaming towards her. Her limp body slumped on the ground. The blood pooling beneath her._

Virgil sat straight up in bed, breathing heavily. Sunlight streamed in from his window. He buried his face in his hands and struggled to calm his racing heart. He couldn't count the number of times that he'd dreamt about his mother like that. The tally was probably nearing at least a hundred by now. There was nothing he could do about the dreams, really. They came when he was stressed, and, lately, it seemed like stress was just another constant of his life.

A quick glance at the clock was all Virgil needed to get his mind focused, however. The nightmare had caused him to sleep in by almost half an hour. There would be no time for morning patrol today. He darted around his room, throwing on clothes and gathering his things for school. Downstairs, he grabbed a Poptart from the kitchen, shouted a, "Bye, Pops!" up the stairs, and jogged out the door to his bus stop.


	21. 207 I'm just a dead man walking

Rating: PG  
Warnings: None  
Genre: Friendship

* * *

Richie was sitting by himself at the gas station, working intently on his latest invention. He took a deep breath and leaned forward with tweezers in his hand. This step was crucial to the electrical system of the gadget. He had to be precise.

With a bang, Virgil came sprinting in the front door, causing Richie to jump. The microchip he had been trying to place flung across the room and landed in some unknown location.

"Richie, you gotta help me!" cried Virgil. He paced back and forth. "I'm dead. I'm so dead. I might as well let Ebon have me because I'm dead!"

Richie removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to keep his composure. "What did you do, Virgil?" he snapped.

Virgil either didn't hear him or simply ignored the question. "She's going to tear me into little pieces and then bury me in the backyard. She'll cover up the murder with some far-fetched story that I ran away, but everyone will buy it because she can cry on demand and so no one will come looking for me even though I'm right in the backyard because _I'm dead!_"

Placing his glasses back on his face, Richie stood and grabbed Virgil by the shoulders. "Virgil. What happened?"

"I totaled Sharon's car, dude." Virgil's face was full of terror, and rightfully so. Richie's eyes widened in shock.

"You did what to Sharon's car?!"

"I totaled it. She said I could borrow it to go to the library today, so long as it was there and back, and that nothing happened, and so I took it, and then this dog ran into the street and I swerved and there was a tree and thank God I wasn't anywhere near a house or anything, or else I could have killed someone, but either way I'm going to be dead because Sharon is gonna kill me!"

They stood in silence for a minute while Richie processed this information. With a serious face, he looked up at Virgil and said simply, "You're dead, V."


	22. 696 Now many days have gone by

Rating: PG  
Warnings: **AU**

Sequel to Chapter 20, I'm Better off Alone

* * *

Richie groaned. His parents, his mother especially, were big on mornings. He wasn't. At all. Every morning, his mom insisted on a sit-down breakfast with the three Foleys, and rarely let him skip. This morning was no exception.

Groggily making his way to the table, Richie removed his glasses to rub at his eyes. It had been a long night. After the incident with Static at the gas station, he had come straight home. Well, after his phone call he went straight home. The night had been spent inventing new gadgets and thinking of ways to get the superhero to trust him. That was essential. Virgilhadto trust Richie. It was the only way.

Maggie and Shawn Foley smiled across the table at their son as he sat down. The three began eating, with Richie's parents chatting. They didn't expect the teenager to join in. After a big blowup a few months ago at the breakfast table, they quickly learned that Richie wasn't a morning person and didn't appreciate being interrogated over bacon and eggs.

In reality, Richie was simply consumed with thoughts during breakfast, especially lately. Morning was the time when all of the ideas that flitted in and out of his dreams solidified in his mind. It was the time to weed out the bad ones and elaborate on good ones. It was definitely not the time to talk about weather or sports. No, those were two subjects that Richie would have nothing to do with.

After breakfast, Richie went upstairs to get ready for school, and when he finally went to leave for the day, he made sure to thank his parents for the meal. He gave his mom a peck on the cheek and his dad a hug. Some teenage boys would never be caught dead showing their parents affection, but Richie figured that you never knew when something awful was going to happen.

You just never knew.

* * *

That day at lunch, Virgil made an excuse to Daisy and Frieda and managed to snag a computer in the library. He pulled up a search engine and typed in 'Richie Foley.' His eyes scanned the results. The boy went to school at the Van Moor Institute of Science. _So he really wasn't kidding about being a genius._

As the thirty-minute lunch period slowly passed, Virgil learned little else about Richie. The only useful tidbits of information he gathered was that he didn't have a criminal record, and that his dad worked as a "Civil Engineering Technician," whatever that was. With a small sigh, Virgil closed the window and pushed his chair back.

When the bell rang at the end of lunch, Virgil was still thinking about Richie. He didn't know why that the boy intrigued him so much. Maybe it was his knowledge? Just the fact that a teenager no older than Virgil himself had managed to create an invention to restrain powerful bang babies was enough to blow Virgil's mind.

As much as he wanted to, there was no way that Virgil could see Richie again. Because his family was already in enough danger with Richie simply knowing who was beneath the Static costume. And he cared about his remaining family too much to put them under that risk.

* * *

When Richie got home from school that day, there was a letter sitting on his bed. The envelope was blank, but he knew exactly who it was from. Dropping his backpack on the floor, he reached a shaking hand to the letter, as if it could explode at any second.

Richie sat on his bed and slid his finger under the seal to open it.

_Mr. Foley,_

_I trust your endeavors are going well. It has been brought to my attention, however, that the plans that were originally scheduled for approximately a week from your first contact with the superhero named 'Static' have been delayed._

_It is crucial that you stall Static. Make him trust you. Pretend to be his friend. Keep him busy, and, above all, make sure he does not learn of your ulterior motives. That is essential._

_More information will be sent in the future, but until then, continue with the plan. It would also be wise to remember the promise I made to you, Richie. Your parents' lives are at stake. Don't disappoint me._

_- Edwin Alva, Sr._


	23. 322 Stuck on a roller coaster

Rating: G  
Warnings: AU in which the boys have never met  
Genre: Friendship, humor

A/N: So I got this idea from seeing that one commercial where the family is on a roller coaster and the mom gets stuck with some random stranger, and by the end of the ride they're both clinging to each other. XD

* * *

Virgil stopped dead in his tracks when he saw where Daisy and Freida were leading him. "No," he said. "No way in hell am I riding The Demon!"

The two girls moved behind him and began pushing him towards the giant ride. "Come on, Virgil," Daisy whined. "It's just a little roller coaster!"

"Yeah, Virgil!" Freida chimed in.

"Excuse me, _little_ roller coaster?" Virgil struggled against the hold the two girls had on him. "That thing has got to be fifteen stories high!"

Daisy and Freida just laughed and kept pushing him forward.

* * *

Richie lounged on a bench, sipping a frozen lemonade while he waited for Shenice and Nina to finish getting their faces painted. He closed his eyes briefly and basked in the warm sunshine, letting the noises of the theme park fade away. He was brought back to the world by Nina grabbing his hand and tugging him up.

"Come on, Richie!" she shouted happily. "We're going to go ride The Demon now!"

Richie's face paled. "Uh… How about I just wait here for you guys? I want to finish my lemonade."

Shenice gave a slightly evil-looking grin. "No way, Four-Eyes," she said as she began to push him forward. "You are going on this ride."

* * *

At The Demon, the ride operator was a little bored. No, strike that. He was extremely bored. It had been a long, hard day standing in the sun and he just wanted to go home. So when there were two groups of three teenagers who all wanted to ride together, he got frustrated.

"Listen," he said to the teens. "There are only two seats per car. You two," he pointed to the two girls standing next to the boy with dreadlocks, "ride in one car. You two," he pointed to the two other girls near the blond boy, "go in another, and you boys can just suck it up and ride together, all right?"

The six paused to consider this for a moment before the girls smiled and climbed into the cars. Virgil and Richie looked at each other, dread evident on both of their faces.

"Um… After you, I guess," Virgil said, motioning for Richie to enter the car first.

The ride operator returned to his station and spoke into a microphone. "All right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to The Demon. Keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times, do not stand until the ride comes to a complete stop, and try not to die."

Virgil and Richie both gripped their restraints tightly. Slowly, the ride began to move.

* * *

The four girls stumbled off of the ride laughing. Their hair was wind-blown, but their smiles were wide. When they turned back to look at the boys, however, they laughed even harder.

Somehow, during the terrifying ride, Richie and Virgil had managed to scoot close to each other and clutch one another in fear. Even still, after the ride had ended, they were both too in shock to let go. It wasn't until the ride operator came to undo their restraints that they realized the position they were in.

Blushing madly, Richie scrambled to exit the car, followed by Virgil. While three of the girls laughed, Shenice quickly pulled out a paper and scribbled something on it. With a smile, she passed it to Virgil and said, "His name's Richie. Call him."


	24. 990 There is more treasure in books

Rating:G  
Warnings: Fluff! :D  
Genre: Fluff, family

* * *

"Hermione threw her book aside," read Virgil. "She was still pink in the face, but stood up and faced Ron defiantly.'Because I thought —'" he said in a high, squeaky voice, "'and Professor McGonagall agrees with me — that that broom was probably sent to Harry by…'" he paused dramatically and smiled at his daughter's wide-eyed face. "Sirius Black!"

Lucy screamed and drew the covers up to her chin. Virgil closed the book and placed it on the night stand. "All right," he said. "Time for bed."

"But wait!" cried Lucy in despair, jumping up on top of the bed. "We have to keep reading! Why did Sirius Black send Harry a Firebolt?! He must be trying to kill Harry! Merlin, McGonagall was right, the broom is probably jinxed!"

"We can find out tomorrow, Luce," said Virgil as he guided her under the covers. "I promise, we'll read two chapters."

"But I want to read them now," she whined, drawing out the last word.

Virgil chuckled. "I know. So do I. But we both have to sleep for now."

"But I'm not—" she yawned. "—tired, daddy."

Smiling, Virgil leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Go to sleep. You've got a big day tomorrow, with the field trip. You'll want to be all rested up, right?"

"Right." She snuggled down into her blanket and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, daddy."

"Goodnight, Lucy."


	25. 111 Your note said, I'm sorry

Rating: PGish  
Warnings/Triggers: None (Unless you count mild swearing, which I don't. XD)  
Genre: Family

A/N: So I've been sort of wanting to do this prompt for a while, but the only thing I could think of was a suicide fic. Which I didn't really want to do. But then this came to me and I'm excited! XD Also, I realized that I almost always give V and Rich a daughter, so in this one they have a son. XD

* * *

To say that Richie was angry would be an understatement. After a long and exhausting day of trying to teach college freshmen with a high school sophomore class "observing" in the back, Richie was about ready to scream. Combine that with the terrible traffic on the way home and you had one very angry superhero.

When Richie finally pulled into the driveway, he took a moment to try and compose himself. Andy would be home from school already, and Richie didn't want their son to see him this upset. True, Andy wasn't a little kid anymore - was he really a teenager already? - but Richie just didn't like having any sort of negativity in the house.

Eager to relax in the arms of his husband, Richie pushed open the front door. The sight that greeted him was one that was definitely not welcome. The first thing he saw was the broken glass in the hallway from a picture frame. The next was the curtains half hanging from their rod. The third was the mud tracked through the hallways and onto their clean, white carpet.

To say that Richie was furious would be an understatement. His vision grew red and he could almost feel the steam blowing out of his ears. "VIRGIL!" he bellowed. He stayed standing in the entryway, not trusting himself to move a muscle, in fear that he would break whatever else had yet to be broken. "VIRGIL GET YOUR ASS IN HERE RIGHT NOW"

From the backyard, both Virgil and 15-year-old Alex slunk in, heads hung. Each of them had a nerf gun in each hand. Richie opened his mouth to tell them off, but just shook his head and stalked towards his bedroom. Virgil tried to follow him.

"Richie, wait," he said. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"No. Not now. Because if we talk now, you will be sleeping on the couch for months, Virgil."

And with that, the door was slammed in Virgil's face.

Richie collapsed on the bed, face down, and groaned into a pillow. Why? Why did his family have to pull this stunt today of all days? Why couldn't Virgil have a little more common sense? Why did Richie have to be in love with this god-forsaken man?

His thoughts were interrupted by a light knocking on the door. "Go away, Virgil!" There was silence for a few seconds before the knock came again. Richie sat up angrily. "I swear to God, Virgil, you won't get sex for a long, _long _time if you don't leave me the fuck alone."

A slip of paper slipped under the door. Richie huffed and walked over to pick it up.

_"I'm sorry. Please forgive me?"_


	26. 142 I knew from the start

Rating: G  
Warnings: FLUFF ALERT! Maybe a few feels, too. XD  
Genre: Fluff, friendship

* * *

Maggie could hear her son's laughter from a block away. She was just finishing up the dishes when she looked through the kitchen window and saw the little boy gleefully running towards the house. The front door slammed open and the patter of little feet stormed towards her.

With a wide smile, Maggie dried her hands and held her arms open for Richie to jump into them. She picked him up and swung him around, much to his delight.

"There he is, my little munchkin!"

"Mom!" he whined, "I'm not little! I'm a big kid!"

Maggie laughed and lowered him to the floor. "Of course you are, Richard."

The six-year-old scrunched up his nose. "Richie. Not Richard," he said, causing his mother to laugh again.

"Did you have fun at school today?"

"It was amazing, mom! Virgil and I were outside playing on the playground and we were on the swings and we were going so high, it was like we were flying! I thought for sure that we were up in the clouds, but Francis kept laughing at us." He stuck out his tongue. "I don't like Francis."

Maggie returned to cleaning up the kitchen. "Don't let him bother you too much, Richie. But if he hurts your feelings, make sure to tell the teacher."

Richie rolled his eyes. "I know, mom."

"So what else did you do today?"

"Well, we made valentines for Valentine's Day on Friday. The teacher said that we had to make one for everyone in the class. I asked her if I had to give one to Francis, too, and she said yes. So instead of coloring his I just scribbled on it. I made Virgil's really pretty, though. I used a lot of blue. Blue is Virgil's favorite color. But not a light blue. He likes it nice and dark, sort of like night time."

Maggie smiled. This was the favorite part of her day. She loved to hear all about Richie's adventures in kindergarten.

"I hope Virgil likes the valentine," Richie continued. "I was hiding it behind my pencil box so that he couldn't see it. I want it to be a surprise. I think he'll like it, though. Especially since it's from me." He smiled. "I like Virgil. Him and me are going to be married one day, mom."

Maggie paused for a split second before smiling even wider. "Of course you will, Richie. I have no doubt about it."


	27. 290 You'll always be my hero

Rating: G, PG-ish  
Warnings: None really  
Genre: Family, Angst

A/N: So this will sort of go along with chapters 14 and 15 of my multi-chap, Richie's Release. It's not necessary to read the story to understand this. :)

* * *

Adam sighed as he walked towards the door. He could hear his brother's screams behind him, shouting for the guards to let him go. There was nothing Adam could do for him. Ivan, or Ebon rather was in jail for good this rime. With all the advances in technology lately, there was no way that the shadow man could find a way out of this new system. The bang baby lockup procedure was thorough. The government had thought of everything.

As the security door shut behind him, locks clicking into place, Adam finally let his tears fall. Every time he visited Ivan, his heart broke a little more. He wished that he had his older brother back. The boy three years older than him who used to protect him from their father's beatings. The brother who tried so hard to keep him safe. Where had he gone? Adam sure didn't know.

He knew exactly when Ivan began to drift away,however. Just before their mother's death, and after their father got fired from his job. That was when the abuse on the two boys was the worst and Ivan's morale was lowest. Ivan was eighteen at the time, and was already well into the gang system. He had been committing petty crimes for years, but it wasn't until then that he began to turn to drugs.

Adam tried to stop him, he really did. But Ivan was one of a kind. Instead of listening to Adam, he followed the path of drugs, violence, and gangs. It wasn't surprising that he had finally ended up in jail, screaming his head off at guards who had no doubt injected him with something to knock him out by now.

Adam climbed into his car in the parking lot and let his head rest on the steering wheel. He wanted desperately to stop coming to visit Ivan. But he just couldn't give up hope that one day he might catch a glimpse of the brother he used to have.


	28. 459 You would always be here

Rating: PGish?  
Warnings: Character death, FEELS  
Genre: future!fic, angst, romance, family

* * *

Richie laid in the grass next to his husband. At least once a week, he and Virgil liked to lay in the sun and just talk. Well, Richie talked and Virgil listened. It was one of the few times that Richie was able to say whatever was on his mind.

"You'll never guess what happened today, V," said Richie. "So there's this girl in the physics class I teach and she has a picture of you and I on her binder. Well, a picture of Static and Gear, that is." He chuckled. "After class, she came up to me and just stared at me. I asked her if she needed clarification on the day's lesson, but she shook her head and said that I looked familiar. She said something about when I took my glasses off for a moment that I rang a bell. I told her that it just must be from all the time spent in class. I don't know if she bought it or not."

Smiling, Richie stretched and put his hands behind his head. "You know, it's a little surprising that no one's figured out who we are. Especially in the beginning. Neither of us were very careful about everything. Didn't I actually say your name while you were in costume once? And in front of a small crowd, too!" He laughed again and closed his eyes, enjoying the warm sun and the fresh air.

"Have you heard that Francis has a son? Yeah, it shocked me, too! He's even a second generation Bang Baby. I think he can manipulate fire, too, but I'm not sure." Richie shook his head. "I do hope that he doesn't follow in his father's footsteps. I think we've dealt with enough flames in the past."

The two laid there for almost two hours. When the sun started to go down and the wind picked up, Richie sighed. "I guess I should go, Virg. It's getting late." He pushed himself up from the ground and looked sadly at the headstone next to him. "I'll be back in a few days, I promise." He gently rearranged the flowers and continued to say his goodbyes. "It's just that Vivian will be home from her grandparents' house soon and I need to be there too cook dinner. You understand, right?" He smiled. "I knew you would."

Richie reluctantly stood and began to walk away. Tears ran down his face as he left the cemetery to go back home to the cold, lonely house.


	29. 555 He who doesn't fear death dies once

Rating: PGish?  
Warnings: FEELS HOLY FUCK THE FEELS oh and character death  
Genre: Angst

A/N: HOLY FUCK YOU'VE BEEN WARNED OF THESE FEELS.

* * *

Richie tried to count the things that he wanted to say to Virgil. It wasn't an easy task. First, he had to figure all of things he had to thank Virgil for. He wanted to thank him for being there for him, for convincing him to come out to his parents, for never giving up on him. There were dozens of topics in that one category.

Next, he needed to think of things he wanted to apologize for. Like all the times he started arguments, or the time that he refused to speak to Virgil for three weeks straight. Another good example was when Static broke his arm during a battle because Gear wasn't paying enough attention. There was so much to apologize for.

There was one thing that stood out from the rest, however. Richie still hadn't told Virgil that he was in love with him. Hopelessly, maddeningly, in love. He had been planning on telling Virgil, of course. If things had gone according to plan, Virgil would have known by the end of the week.

But things didn't go as planned. Instead, Virgil was hit by a car while crossing the street in front of Richie's house.

Richie had been standing on the porch when it happened. He was laughing at a joke that Virgil had called over his shoulder and trying not to run after him and pull him into a kiss. One second everything was perfect, and the next, it wasn't. Nothing happened in slow motion, like a lot of people say. At least, for Richie it didn't. The car appeared out of nowhere, struck Virgil, and disappeared as fast as it had came.

And so, here they were, in the middle of the street. Richie was wracking his brain for something to say, because he knew he didn't have much time. There was a very slim chance that his best friend would live until the ambulance showed up, let alone survive the ride to the hospital. These were their last moments together.

"R-Richie?" Virgil stammered. His eyes had a scared look in them.

Taking Virgil's hands in his, Richie didn't bother to keep the tears from flowing down his face. "I'm right here, V. Don't worry, I won't leave." He didn't bother telling him that he was going to be all right. They both knew it would be a lie.

"I'm dying. I'm dying, aren't I, Rich?"

With a choked sob, Richie nodded. Virgil blinked slowly and almost smiled. It was now or never. "Virgil, I-"

"I can see my mom, Richie." Virgil's eyes were focused far in the distance. "She's there, I can see her."

Richie was crying so hard that he couldn't form words. He just squeezed Virgil's hands and nodded.

"She says that it's all right. That I'll be safe." His voice was growing softer and his eyes were starting to close.

"Th-that's right, V. She's right."

"I… I l-love you, Richie."

"I love you, too, Virgil."


	30. 667 As a river of memories rush

Rating: G  
Warnings: Fluff!  
Genre: future!fic, fluff, romance

A/N: A little shorter than I had hoped, but that's all right. :)

* * *

Richie and Virgil walked into the coffee shop holding hands. It had taken them a while to feel comfortable in public when they first got together, but now, after over 50 years together, anything other than holding hands was uncomfortable. The barista smiled as they ordered their coffee and Virgil insisted on paying, causing Richie to blush.

"Now that's what I call true love," said the teenager behind the counter. Virgil and Richie smiled at each other.

"That's because it is," Richie said. "We've known each other our whole lives. Our parents said that they knew we were going to end up together from when we were in preschool."

She handed them their coffees and they thanked her before walking to sit at a table. Mid-stride, Virgil froze. A string of memorize bombarded his mind.

Five years old, Richie and Virgil were starting kindergarten. Virgil comforted Richie as he cried when the older kids teased him about his glasses. "Don't care about them," said Virgil. "You've got me. I'll protect you."

_Ten years old, Virgil's mom had just passed away. Richie dealt with his mis-directed anger for weeks on end before one day Virgil lost it. Then, Richie held Virgil as he sobbed. "Thanks Richie," said Virgil. "You're the best friend I could ever ask for."_

_Fifteen years old, the night of the Big Bang. Richie followed Virgil to the docks and carried him home when things went awry. As he laid him on his bed, Virgil, who was groggy and disoriented, whispered, "You saved my life."_

_Eighteen years old, the night of their first date. Virgil was staring into Richie's eyes when the words just popped out. "I love you, Richie."_

"Virgil? Earth to Virgil, are you there?"

Richie snapped his fingers in front of his husband's face. Virgil blinked a few times, a goofy smile on his face.

"I really do love you, Richie."


	31. 782 How could I let my world slip

Rating: PGish  
Warnings/Triggers: Child abduction, FEELS  
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Family

A/N: This idea came to me last night while I was falling asleep. I hope I did it justice. :)

* * *

The room was spinning. It had to be. There was no way that Virgil could feel this dizzy from natural causes. So it had to be the room. Because he felt like he was going to throw up.

Two seconds. He had looked away for just two seconds to ask a clerk where the restroom was. He hadn't been holding her hand, so he hadn't noticed when she was suddenly gone. Virgil cursed himself for letting little Lucy convince him that she was old enough to not get lost. He should have known better!

With shaking hands, Virgil pulled out his cellphone and dialed Richie's number.

"Hey, Virg. How's shopping going?"

"She's gone, Richie. She's gone. I don't know what happened. I looked away for two seconds and then turned around and she was gone. I'm freaking out here. This mall is huge! She could be anywhere! What the fuck do I do, Richie?!"

Virgil could almost hear Richie's panic welling up inside of him before logic began to take over. "Have you talked to security?"

"Yes. I'm in the office right now. They announced her name over the speaker, they told all of the security guards her description, but it's been ten minutes and nothing has happened yet!"

"All right. It's okay. Just take deep breaths and I'll be there in five minutes. Stay there, and try not to panic, all right?"

The five minutes of waiting felt like five years to Virgil. He couldn't stay still. Every second that ticked by was a second that Lucy was out there, scared, or maybe even hurt. By the time Richie arrived, Virgil was close to having a complete meltdown. As soon as he saw his husband enter the security office, Virgil flung himself at him.

"Richie, we have to find her. What if someone took her? What if she's lost? She's only six!"

Richie put his hands on Virgil's shoulders. "Calm down. The only way that we're going to figure this out is if we stay calm." Despite his words, it was obvious that Richie's hands were shaking.

"Calm," repeated Virgil. "All right. I can do calm. See? I'm calm." It was also obvious that Virgil was nowhere near calm.

Richie turned to the head security officer. "Please. What else can be done?"

The officer shook his head. "That's all. We just have to wait.

* * *

Four days. It was the longest four days that Virgil and Richie had ever known. It was unbelievable to the couple that just a week ago, they had been a happy family of three. Now it felt like nothing could ever be right again.

There was an Amber Alert out in three states, but no leads had presented themselves. Virgil and Richie's lives had begun to revolve around finding their daughter. Richie took time off from the university, and once Virgil explained the situation to Batman, he got an indefinite leave of absence. They spent their time making posters, calling people, and going out on search teams.

On the fifth day of Lucy's absence, the two men curled up on the couch in their living room, exhausted from getting only one or two hours of sleep per night. Virgil curled into Richie's side, laid his head on the blond's shoulder, and began to cry. Richie pulled Virgil in closer to comfort him, but couldn't help the tears staining his cheeks.

"It's all right, Virgil," he said softly. "We'll find her. The entirety of Dakota is on the look out, not to mention the rest of the state. The Justice League is throwing in whatever spare time they have, Sharon and your dad are working the phones to get the word out there, and Daisy and Freida are helping us put up posters. We will find her, V."

"But what if we don't?" Virgil said shakily. "We have no clue where she might be. We don't know who took her or why. We don't know anything, Richie! You're the genius here, do the math. I bet the odds aren't as good as you're making them out to be."

"You're right, you know. The odds aren't that good. But all the other lost children don't have two superheroes as parents, now do they?"

* * *

For an entire year, Richie and Virgil never lost hope. Even when their loved ones tried to say things like, "You should prepare yourself for the worst after all this time," they never gave up. After a few weeks, the media coverage died down. After a few months, the police forces began to slow. After six months, it was rare for them to receive any information at all.

But then, one day, the phone rang. Richie answered it in his monotonous voice that he had acquired over the past year. A few seconds into the call, however, his face lit up and Virgil knew right then that Lucy was safe.

The frantic drive to the Dakota police station seemed to drag on forever. They were both dizzy with anxiety and happiness. Questions hung unsaid in the air. Was she all right? Where had she been? Who took her? And the worst of all, had she been abused?

After ages, they pulled into the parking lot. Richie was climbing out of the car before Virgil had even put it in park. Together, they clamored towards the door of the precinct.

And there she was. Lucy, now seven years old, stood there before her fathers. She was thinner and there were bags under her eyes, but as soon as she saw them, her face lit up into a huge grin. The sheriff felt his eyes tear up as he watched the family be reunited. It was one of the best parts of his job.

As soon as Lucy was in their arms, Virgil and Richie were finally able to breathe. After an entire year of living on edge and wondering if they would ever see their beautiful baby girl again, here she was. All three of them had tears pouring down their faces. But none of them cared, because they were finally together.


	32. 9 Did I ever tell you I love you

Rating: PG-13ish, maybe more?  
Warnings: Fluff! :D  
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Romance

A/N: So I was at rehearsal today (with a bunch of little kids XD) and I started writing in my script. It was planned to be another attempt at smut (since I have yet to write a successful smut fic. -_-) but it turned into this instead. XD

* * *

Virgil couldn't believe how much he enjoyed kissing Richie. It was so much different than kissing Daisy or Freida or any of those other girls. He almost felt like he was in some strange Goldilocks story.

Daisy had been way too excited about kissing. She would seize any and every opportunity to stick her tongue down his throat, and, frankly, Virgil hated it. Freida, on the other hand, was strictly against PDA between couples. If anything, Virgil had been physically closer to her in public when they were friends than as her boyfriend. And the few times they did kiss… well, let's just say the girl didn't quite know what to do with her tongue.

All the other girls were pretty much the same. Too much, too little, too soft, too hard, too hot, too cold. Not once did anything feel "just right." In all his relationships, Virgil never felt like he could live happily ever after with them.

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon when Virgil was visiting Richie one day. Over the years, they both made a huge effort to stay in contact. They each went out of their way to see each other in person for birthdays, holidays, and summer vacation, in addition to countless phone calls and skype sessions. It was difficult and expensive since they were attending colleges on either side of the country, but it was worth it for those blessed few minutes with their best friend.

On this particular visit, Virgil found himself recently single. Again. And so he told Richie all of the details. Again.

"I don't know anymore, Rich," he said forlornly. "Maybe I'm just not cut out to be in a relationship."

Richie shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, you never know, V. Maybe one day the right person will come along. You just gotta let them come on their own time."

"I guess so." The two were quiet for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Abruptly, Virgil turned in his seat on the couch to face Richie. "You know what?" he asked vaguely. "I think I just realized something."

"Do share, then," Richie said with a smile. Virgil's brain blasts were always amusing.

"I think I've been going about this the wrong way. All of my girlfriends, they've all just been like best friends to me. I don't think I ever really thought of them romantically at all."

Richie raised an eyebrow. "And yet you've been fucking them anyways, I assume."

Virgil averted his eyes. "Ah… Yeah… But anyways, what if I have it all backwards? Like, 'best friend love' and 'girlfriend material love'?"

It wasn't more than two seconds before Richie understood where Virgil was going. His eyes widened. "Uh, Virg, you do know how this sounds, right? Because-"

Richie's words were cut off by Virgil's lips on his own. When Richie gasped in surprised, Virgil took the opportunity to gently slide his tongue in.

Virgil couldn't believe how much he enjoyed kissing Richie. It was warm and soft and just right. And Richie couldn't complain, either.


	33. 921 I lost you to the summer wind

Rating: G  
Warnings: Fluff! :D  
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Romance

* * *

The end of summer was Virgil's favorite time of the year. Right as the heat was dying down and the wind slowly started to kick up, to be precise. Students were scrambling to get the most out of their last few weeks of vacation, the leaves showed the first sign of changing, and everything felt fresh and new.

When he was younger, Jean would often take Virgil to a park on the top of a hill a few streets down. Virgil was sure that the memory of the few days spent with her there would stay with him forever. When he let himself really remember, it was like he was five years old again with his mom in the summer breeze.

For their first date, Virgil took Richie to the park. The timing of their decision to get together couldn't have been more perfect. When they arrived at the park, everything was just as Virgil remembered it. He had never shared this spot with anyone before, but he was ready to share now.

Richie was fascinated by Virgil's reaction to the park. He simply stood a few feet away and watched the emotions play across Virgil's face as he stood at the very top of the hill and slowly spun in a circle. After a few minutes, Richie smiled and walked up to Virgil, who was seemingly lost in his own world.

"It's a pretty neat place, V. Thanks for showing me," said Richie. When Virgil didn't respond, he repeated his words. When still no response came, he put a hand on Virgil's shoulder, causing him to come back to reality with a jolt.

"Sorry," Virgil said with a sheepish smile. "I got lost in the wind."


End file.
